


Inside Grady

by LifesRichPageant



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, bethyl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-19 14:12:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4749332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifesRichPageant/pseuds/LifesRichPageant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would have happened if Daryl was hit by the car instead of Carol and he was brought to Grady Memorial Hospital? Would he and Beth be able to escape together and live happily ever after? (Daryl/Beth story). Season 4/5 spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Taken

Chapter One

The black car with the white cross painted on it.

Daryl and Carol had followed the car all the way to Atlanta and now they were stuck, trapped in the city surrounded by walkers. There, they found another survivor, Noah. Daryl didn't take too kindly to the young man at first, stealing their weapons. But Daryl eventually caught up with him and got them back finding Noah trapped under a bookcase.  
Daryl was annoyed carrying a third wheel in the party. He was happy enough with just the two of them. But he couldn't let anything distract him from his ultimate goal - he had to get Beth back. The black car with the white cross painted on it. He remembered running after it until he could run no more. It belonged to Grady Memorial Hospital right in the heart of Atlanta. They had Beth.

It all started in the funeral home. Penned in by walkers, the two of them tried to escape together. He told her to make a run for it and she did and that was last time he saw her. He saw her backpack laying on the ground outside the house and knew something was up. Suddenly a car sped off into the darkness and Daryl was left all alone once again.

Daryl hated being alone as much as he hated to admit it. He needed people, he needed people to protect and in turn he needed to be protected to. Daryl imagined how Beth must have struggled against her kidnappers how they must have grabbed her and forced her into the car against her will. Beth was a fighter, he knew that. He had taught her how to fight himself. They had to have used real force and knocked her out. She must have been so scared, screaming for him. The thoughts choked Daryl and he had to kneel down and wipe his eyes hoping that Carol didn't spot any tears.

Daryl saw the black car circle the building once and was keeping a keen eye on it. He waited with Noah and Carol around a corner near the entrance watching and waiting.  
The car didn't come back around though. Daryl slowly stepped forward holding his crossbow out in front of him. Daryl was still suspicious and as he exited he told the other two to hold back until he gave the signal.

He checked both sides for walkers. It was all clear and he turned around and gave a thumbs up to Carol and Noah. That was when the black car came speeding around the corner again, tyres screeching. Daryl couldn't get out of the way in time and even though the car slammed on the brakes, it hit him sending him rolling up the bonnet and crashing down on the hard tarmac, unconscious.

Two men dressed in police uniforms immediately got out of the car and rushed to Daryl's side. Carol watched on in horror and then aimed her gun. She was ready to run in and kill the two police officers.

"No, don't." Noah whispered putting his arm in front of her to prevent her from shooting. "They can help him."

Carol reluctantly accepted and simply watched while trying to stay out of sight. The two police officers picked up Daryl, one grabbing his legs, the other his arms and put him in the back seat of the car.

xxxx

 

The car pulled up at Grady Memorial Hospital on the grey autumn afternoon. Dr Steven Edwards was waiting by the entrance with a stretcher. The two police officers got out of the car and and approached Dr Edwards.

"You found a new one?" asked the doctor adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, he's a big guy." replied one of the police officers. "Saw him running around Atlanta with a small group. Didn't see the others but this guy will make a great addition to the hospital. Looks like he can do a lot of work."

"Good work." Dr Edwards said. "Bring him in."

The two police officers then unloaded the muscular man onto the stretcher. They the took out his crossbow which they had picked up at the scene too.

"Found this too." said the police officer holding it up and pointing it at Dr Edwards. "This will definitely come in handy."

Dr Edwards put his hand up and shielded his face as if they were really going to fire at him. The two police officers laughed and wheeled Daryl's body into the hospital. He had several large lacerations caused by the impact on his face and arms. Dr Edwards wanted to get him in as quickly as possible so they could treat him.

They wheeled the stretcher down the long empty corridors of Grady until they came to the main functioning ward, the only functioning ward left in the hospital. There were several staff there some with clipboards, some just milling about. One of the staff members was Beth Greene wearing a blue hospital gown who was there mopping the floor when Daryl's body was carted past her. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was Daryl Dixon. The man who had saved her.

Beth dropped the mop and asked Dr Edwards what was going on and if she could help. Dr Edwards agreed and allowed her to come to the operating room where they put Daryl.  
Beth looked down at Daryl's unconscious face - his body still, his eyes firmly closed and started to cry. She found it hard to imagine that this strong man could be dead. There was no way, she had to save him.

Beth ran her fingers down his face and Dr Edwards barged her out of the way.

"Please Beth," he said. "If you're not going to help, don't stay here. Don't just stare at him!"

"I'm sorry." she replied.

But she couldn't help staring at him. It had only been a few weeks but it had felt like a lifetime since they last met. She put her hands together and prayed. She prayed that he would be all right and she prayed that they would make it out of the hospital together.

His face was as handsome as always with his rugged beard and his straggly hair. He was still wearing the same leather jacket with denim vest from when they were last together. Beth hoped and prayed but then spotted Dawn out of the corner of her eye standing in the doorway. Seeing Dawn always meant trouble, one way or another and she hoped that she didn't have any plans for Daryl. She would have to stop her if she did.

Beth turned around and gave a reassuring nod to Dawn and she reciprocated in kind.

Daryl, please wake up, please be ok, Beth thought to herself as she handed Dr Edwards a syringe.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	2. The Crossbow

The life support machine beeped incessantly. Each beep burned a whole in her heart; a feeling she could not escape. She was alone now. She was alone sitting by Daryl's side as he lay unconscious with tubes and drips sticking into his veins and a respirator covering his mouth.

Beth felt so alone. She wanted to say so much to him, so many things she had to say, all the thank yous and all the sorrys in the world but nothing could help him now. All she could do was pray. And that's what she did. Beth got down on her knees. Even though her father was extremely religious, she didn't have much room for it in her life. She always made her sister mad when she disobeyed her father and didn't go to church but for once she prayed and hoped and believed, closing her eyes and clasping her hands, she prayed up to the heavens hoping a light would shine down from above.

It was night time now and so silent in the hospital. It was such a strange sensation. Beth was used to life at the prison and then life on the road where walkers would be groaning and growling and hungry for blood and she would have to sleep with her eyes open with never a peaceful moment. Everything in the hospital seemed like a dream, or to Beth - more of a nightmare. There were no walkers feeding on people's brains. There was no Governor trying to attack it and rob them of it. It was safe. But at the same time, Beth never felt more scared and more unsafe. It was a volatile paradise and she felt it was like a pressure cooker, ready to go off at any moment.

Suddenly Beth heard footsteps the outside walking down the corridor. She quickly grabbed her mop so that she would at least have an excuse if they came in. Luckily though the footsteps just continued down the corridor and around the corner until they disappeared.

"Beth."

The voice startled her. It was low and gravelly and sent shivers down her spine. She knew that voice. "Daryl!" she cried.

Beth raced over to his side and held his hand hoping for another response. His eyelids were fluttering. "Daryl, can you hear me?"

There was a long pause where Daryl's eyes kept flickering open and closed. He turned his head and flexed his fingers. He was alive and Beth squeezed his hand as hard as she could unable to control herself.

"Beth." he said again, in a quiet raspy tone.

"It's ok, Daryl, don't push yourself. Just relax." she said putting her hand on his forehead and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"My crossbow."

"What?" asked Beth, thinking that she had misheard him. "My crossbow. Get my crossbow."

Beth couldn't tell if he was delirious or if he was actually serious. He was clearly in no state to use a crossbow but she thought for a second about where they kept the weapons.

They were in the room next to Dawn's office. She could get it but it wouldn't be easy. She knew Dawn too well.

"Daryl, just stay calm. I'll get the crossbow."

Daryl didn't hear her words though as he had already passed out again. Beth finally let go of his hand and placed it on top of his chest. Praying really worked, she thought as she quietly tip-toed out of the room.

The corridor was completely dark. She went back into Daryl's room and took a wind-up flashlight from under the bed. She wound it up five or six times and it turned on. It wasn't bright but it was just enough light to help her see what was in front of her or behind her.

Beth was terrified of getting caught. She had seen what happened to people when they disobeyed orders. She had seen what happened to Noah and what happened to her. Dawn showed no mercy, punishing people with violence.

Beth creeped around the corridors, her heart was pounding and perspiration was dripping off her chin. The ward was such a scary place at night. It was scarier than any nightmare she'd ever had.

She shone the flashlight up and ready the crude notice on the door written in black marker pen, "Dawn's Office". It was the next one along. Beth got down and crawled along the ground not wanting to make even the slightest sound.

When she got to the door, she slowly stood and turned the handle. It was locked. Damn, she thought. But Beth knew the hospital well. She had researched every nook and cranny and knew the key must be in Dawn's office. It was just a matter of taking it without being seen.

Beth crept back to the door which read "Dawn's Office" and turned the handle with excruciating slowness. Inside, Beth expected to find Dawn sleeping or riding her exercise bike, but she wasn't there. That made Beth even more afraid.

Beth went to the desk in the corner and opened the drawer. She fingered and fumbled her way through the mess of documents and old letters until she found an old tin box at the bottom. Beth struggled to open it but managed to prise it open. Inside was a whole bunch of keys. She didn't have time to think. She just grabbed them all and would have to try them out later.

Beth tip-toed out of the room closing the door behind her. Then she went back to the locked door and tried several of the keys. The first one didn't work, neither did the second. They rattled as she shook them and she tried more times, each time forgetting which key she had actually used.

It was so dark and she was in such a panic. She jammed one more key into the lock and heard it click. Beth breathed a huge sigh of relief and prayed up to the heavens once again. The creaked as it opened and Beth grimaced and looked away. Hopefully that didn't wake anyone up, she thought as she shone her flashlight over to the large table in the middle of the room.

On the table were lots of weapons including knives, handguns, an AK-47, handcuffs, knight sticks - all stuff that the police officers had collected over time. There too was Daryl's crossbow sitting right on the top, their latest addition. Beth looked at it and tried to pick it up. It was heavy and she almost dropped it. Beth looked around at the other weapons too. They all looked useful but she wouldn't be able to conceal an AK-47 or an RPG. She picked a small pocket knife, perfect for slipping into her belt to stab someone in a crisis.

Clack, Clack.

Who's there?

Suddenly she heard footsteps and Beth held her breath, holding the crossbow close.

There was another light, a flashlight waving outside the door. It opened with a slow, agonising creak and in a moment of absolute horror she spun around and saw Dawn Lerner standing in the doorway with mean eyes and with her arms folded.

Beth gulped. She knew she was in trouble now.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	3. Touching From A Distance

"You're making excellent progress." said Dr Edwards adjusting his glasses in anervous way that made Daryl stare at him long and hard with distrust.

Daryl was still lying on the bed but his eyes were now wide open and he was awake and alert and aware of his surroundings. Daryl knew where he was, it was where he was always planning to go except perhaps not by getting hit by a car. He remembered Beth, through the dense foggy cloud in his mind, sitting next to him and holding his hand. The feeling of her soft touch still lingered and he longed to touch her once more.

Daryl tried to sit up but Dr Edward stepped forward and put his hand out to prevent him from climbing out of the bed.

"Don't get up yet, Mr Dixon." he said. "You're not strong enough yet."

"Like shit I ain't." said Daryl with the same stubbornness that had kept him alive through the zombie apocalypse all this time. "I ain't dead yet."

Dr Edwards adjusted his glasses again, perhaps realising that Daryl wouldn't be as easy to control as some of the other patients. "No, you're right." said the doctor. "But if you push yourself too hard now, you could cause yourself some serious damage."

"Daryl tried to sit up but pain like a thousand knives digging into his stomach caused him to collapse back onto the bed.

"See, I told you." Dr Edwards said.

"Beth, is she here?"

"You know her?"

"Yeah, I know her." said Daryl in a gruff voice. "Where is she? She was here before."

"I have no idea. It's late at night, none of the janitors or wards come around this late. I'm just doing my final rounds before bed."

"You're lucky you've got a bed with a walls and a roof over your head."

"Don't think I'm not grateful, Mr Dixon. I thank God every day."

"God?" Daryl said with a wry smile. "You think God created those things that try to eat our brains."

"I'm sure He has a plan."

"I suppose you think you can find a cure for this shit too."

"We're working very hard on various options."

Daryl laughed. Daryl had always been a good judge of character and he thought the doctor was such an officious prick, not a redeeming bone in his body.

He tried to sit up again, this time managing to get to a full 90 degree angle. He winced but his the slight groan he let out belied the excruciating agony he was in. Daryl was always good at hiding his pain inside. It had kept him sane when so many other had lost their mind.

Daryl had only one thing on his mind now though, he had to find Beth.

Daryl willed himself to move and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Dr Edward took a step back in disbelief that the man had so much mobility considering the extent of his injuries.

Daryl put his feet on the ground and stood up. His balance was shaky at first and he had to hold onto the life support machine to stop himself from falling. "Are you ok?" Dr Edwards asked.

"I'll be all right when I get my crossbow back." "I'm very sorry, sir. But weapons are prohibited for patients within this hospital."

Daryl lunged at Dr Edwards and grabbed him by the lapels of his white lap coat, pushing him into the wall with a loud thud.

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

The pain hit Daryl's chest once more, like he had 1000 pounds crushing down on him and he clutched his chest and started breathing heavily.

"Please, Mr Dixon." said Dr Edwards putting his hands on the shoulders. "Please you're not well yet. You need to rest."

But Daryl wasn't interested in resting. He knew what he had to do and didn't want to waste any time to this scum. Then in a flash of pure rage, Daryl leant back and slammed his fist right into the side of of Steven Edwards' skull. He crumbled to the ground, his glasses flying off and smashing on the floor as blood splattered on the sheets.

"Looks like you're the one who needs to rest, doc."

Daryl tried to put pressure on his left foot but it was too painful. He thought he must have had internal injuries, maybe even some broken bones. But he couldn't stop now though and he slowly limped out of the room just glancing back once to see Dr Edwards lying on the ground, unconscious, his eye bloody and swollen.

Daryl almost felt remorse for a second. Almost. Nothing was going to stop him getting to Beth after coming so far.

xxxxx

 

Dawn Lerner stood in the doorway in front of Beth with her arms folded. "What are you doing?" she asked in a sharp, angry tone and Beth flinched.

"I-I was just checking everything and making sure everything was in order."

"Come on, Beth, I wasn't born yesterday. You know the rules, Beth and you know the punishment for breaking them."

Beth put the crossbow back down on the table but she kept the small knife tucked discreetly in her belt as Dawn paced towards her and backed her against the wall.

Dawn ran the back of her hand down Beth's cheek and it made her quail. Dawn at first glance seemed frail but she scared her more than any of the other police officers. She was volatile and insane.

Beth knew the punishment too and she braced herself for a hit. It came harder than expected - a right back hand to her temple which left a dullness in her head and a ringing in her ears.

"I won't warn you again, Beth. After everything I've done for you, the least you could do is treat me with a little bit of respect. Don't sneak in here, try and steal a weapon and then lie about it."

Dawn hit her again which left a nasty bruise on her forehead. Beth wanted to cry out but managed to hold it in. She couldn't show weakness, not to Dawn. Then just as Dawn raised her hand to strike her again, Officer Pullman entered the room. He was a short, burly man with a stomach that showed he was being fed far too well in the zombie apocalypse. He was also clean-shaven with a neat crew cut that made his already round, fat face even rounder and fatter.

Beth didn't like the look of him. He was too clean. He was no survivor. He had been inside walls from the very start. She hated his smile worst of all, his stupid grin. He came up behind Dawn giving a little wink to Beth. She shuddered.

"Is there a problem here, Officer Lerner?" Pullman asked.

"No, no problem. I just caught Beth here out of hours when she should be in her room."

"Well, that is a problem." Pullman said, fixing his belt as if it were going to burst at any minute and with his disgusting grin getting wider. "Tell you what, Officer Lerner, I'll sort this problem out, if you don't mind. It's late. You need your rest."

Dawn silently agreed. She looked over at Beth who know had a look of terror in her eyes. Dawn knew what this meant now, but felt powerless to stop it. She preferred doing things her way but the way she ran the hospital was out of control and often the officers took the law in their own hands.

Officer Pullman was particularly notorious along with his friend Gorman. Beth saw the end of him, but there were more, there were always more in the corrupt Grady Memorial Hospital like a factory-line of perverted and maladjusted police officers.

Pullman lurched forward and before Beth could react, grabbed her by her blonde ponytail and dragged her out of the room. Dawn bowed her head and said nothing as Beth screamed and yelled for help. She even let out a small tear before quickly wiping it away.

Pullman continued to drag Beth down the corridor by her ponytail, her neck wrenched over to her left side and her legs unable to catch up with the rest of her body with the speed Pullman was pulling her.

He ignored her screams and her kicks and her wails and eventually stopped by a door, took out the key from his pocket and unlocked it.

He pulled Beth's head so she was now staring him right in the eyes.

"You've been a bad girl, Bethy. Time for your punishment."

Pullman opened the door and shoved Beth in roughly. The force sent her flying into the metal locker and it left her dazed for a few seconds. That was all the time Pullman needed to pounce. He marched over and grabbed the girl by the pony tail again yanking her up. He was a short man, around the same height as Beth, but he outweighed her by a good 100 pounds and he easily tossed Beth around like a rag doll.

He pushed her back onto the bed in the middle of the room. Beth remembered the knife concealed in her belt. She had to use it, she had to fight back.

Beth quickly drew the thin blade from her belt but Pullman was ready and wrapped his fat fingers around her slender wrist in an instant. He squeezed like he was juicing an orange digging into Beth's skin until she cried out and dropped the knife on the ground.

The knife made a pinging sound as it hit the ground and Beth's heart sank. She knew that was her chance. Pullman bent down to pick it up and he laughed.

"Wow, such violence from such a pretty lady." he said and then got right up close to her, holding the knife to her chin. "But that's how I like it."

Beth slapped him and Pullman dropped the knife. Beth stood up from the bed and punched him as hard as she could. Pullman reeled and staggered back. Pain shot out like a lightning bolt through Beth's fist. It immediately began to turn blue and swell up. But it didn't matter, she hit him again and then a kick to the ribs for good measure.

Beth tried for another kick but Pullman grabbed her ankle and tripped her up sending her crashing to the ground and head thumped against the cold, hard floor. For a second she blacked out, blissfully unaware of the world around her. Pullman seized his chance and reached down and lifted Beth back on to the bed.

Beth felt the soft mattress beneath her and slowly started to come round. Her vision hazy and the terrifying sight of Pullman's hideous fat face coming towards made her instinctively react. She scratched his cheek, leaving four tiger-like red line down the side of his face. Pullman put his hand to his cheek and saw red droplets fall into his palm.

"Bitch!" he cried.

Pullman punched Beth in the stomach and all the air raced out of her body. Beth struggled to stay conscious, her eyelids opening and closing. Everything was numb now and seemed far away like she was swimming underwater.

"Looks like you need a little nap." said Pullman as he fetched a syringe out of the drawer. He filled it with a clear liquid in an unmarked bottle. But Pullman knew what it was. He had used it before to subdue disobedient patients. Pullman held the syringe up in front of Beth's face and taunted her, but she was a million miles away and in that moment didn't care if she lived or died.

Pullman moved the syringe over to her arm and rolled up her sleeve ready to inject her. That was when Pullman cried out in pain as two large hand smashed him in the back of the neck and he fell to the floor. A large man with long scraggly black hair stood over him and kicked him one more time knocking him unconscious.

"Beth." said the man looking over at the blonde girl who was now lying on the bed clutching her stomach.

"Daryl?" she said in a breathless tone.

Daryl limped over to her side. He was feeling better but still not 100% himself. He helped Beth sit upright. "Are you ok, Beth?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a bit shaken up. Daryl, what about you? How are you even walking?"

"Nothing gonna stop me today getting you out of this hospital. I didn't come all the way to Atlanta to stop now."

"Daryl, you're so stupid risking your life to save me."

Daryl laughed. "Yeah, I know I'm stupid. But you are my little ass-kicker."

"Thanks, Daryl."

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Beth slid off the bed and tried to stand on her own. Her legs were like jelly at first but she quickly regained her balance. Then she turned around and suddenly her legs collapsed from under her and she fell right into Daryl's chest. He was still in great pain and he more than winced this time, almost swearing his head off. When she regained her composure, Beth found herself attached to Daryl's oak-like chest and her face reddened with embarrassment.

"Here, Beth, we've got to get out of here. Let me carry you."

Beth was shocked and heart raced so fast, she thought she was going to faint. "No, I can walk." she said pushing herself off Daryl's chest and showing him that she could indeed walk on her own two feet.

"Always stubborn, ain't ya?" said Daryl as he reached down and scooped Beth up in his arms. "Some things never change."

Beth looked up deep within his blue eyes as if she was trying to stare right into his soul. And Daryl looked down at her as though he had found a love long lost and in that moment, where time seemed to stand still, their hearts pounded together as one.

Beth was reluctant about Daryl helping her at first but soon found herself snaking her arms around his thick neck as he carried her out of the room.

"I know where the exit is, Daryl. I'll show you."

 

TO BE CONTINUED….


	4. Further All The Time

1.

The heavy metal door opened as Daryl pushed his way through holding Beth lovingly in his arms. He was in agony but he wasn't about to let her down, not for a second. Beth felt that. She was so close to him, she could feel his heart beat. Beth relaxed for a moment in his strong, muscular arms. She closed her eyes and felt a blissful wave of peace wash over her letting her head lightly roll onto his shoulder. Daryl was so strong, so determined, so loyal. Beth wished she was like him.

Beth was suddenly jolted out of her slumber when Daryl quickened the pace and hoisted her higher. She rubbed her tired eyes. She must have fallen asleep. Daryl was now running and within his powerful arms she felt like she was flying.

"Why are we going so fast?" Beth asked, looking down at the ground racing past Daryl's feet.

"I think someone spotted us. We've gotta get outta here."

"I can walk now, I think."

"Nah, too risky now. It'll only slow us down checking. And besides you ain't heavy. I've kinda gotten used to it now."

Beth accepted his excuse and smiled out the corner of her mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck once again.

"Open this door, Beth." Daryl shouted. They were at the end of another corridor in what seemed like an entire maze of endless corridors. The door was unmarked. Beth turned the handle and opened it and Daryl carried her inside. Daryl turned around so she could close it for them.

"Can you get the light. Beth?" Daryl asked as he carried the blonde girl to middle of the room.

She reached up and grabbed the cord that was dangling down twice.

A single dim bulb lit up. It was barely enough for them to see the features on their face but it was enough and it would have to do.

Daryl and Beth looked around. They were in a small room (actually, less of a room and more of box cupboard). There was cleaning equipment everywhere - old mops, brushes, dust pans and garbage bags. It stank but considering the options they couldn't be too picky. Daryl thought they would be safe in there, at least for a little while.

Daryl placed Beth down gently on the ground and then held his ribs and doubled over.

"Daryl, you pushed yourself too hard." Beth said. Daryl collapsed beside her with his head resting against the cold stone wall.

"Well what choice did I have?" said Daryl.

Beth lifted up his shirt and saw the welts and bruises turning his whole torso into an odd blue and purple shade. She put her hand on one of the bruises and Daryl yelled out in pain.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, see how you like it." Daryl said as he put his hand on Beth's stomach where Pullman had punched her.

Beth yelled out too and Daryl laughed.

"Not fun, is it?"

"How did you know where to find me?" asked Beth in a serious tone.

"I just knew. I saw the day they took you. It was black car with a white cross painted on it. I knew you were still alive and I had to find you. After that shit really hit the fan at Terminus but I never stopped thinking about you. I saw them again nearby and followed them all the way here to Atlanta. I was looking for a way in. I guess I found. Those son of a bitches hit me with their car."

"Why did you keep looking for me? In this world now, if people disappear, it means they're dead."

"I just knew. I had this feeling way down in my gut. Call it a sixth sense or whatever but I knew. I knew you were strong and able to take care of yourself. You showed me that. That night at the funeral home. I couldn't remember the last time I felt like that."

Beth hugged Daryl and kissed him on the cheek. He put an arm around her too and pulled her in close. "This is nice." said Beth snuggling up to him. "Just the two of us alone in here. It's like the horror of the outside world doesn't exist."

"Enjoy it while it lasts, Beth. Enjoy it while it lasts."

xxxxxxx

2.

Officer Pullman pulled his fat face out a pool of his own blood. Seeing the red drip from his forehead made him angry as he snarled and growled and spun around only to see Dawn Lerner standing in the doorway. She stood only 5 feet 4 and was only 120 pounds, but she had a presence about her that caused fully-grown men to cower in fear.

"That was a pretty lame stunt you pulled." Dawn said, taking a step towards him.

"Hey we risk our lives everyday to keep this place going. The least we can have is a little reward."

"Not at the expense of our patients."

"It never bothered you before. Why now?"

Dawn fell silent. She didn't want to admit that she shared a strong affinity with Beth. She saw things in her, qualities that she possessed. She admired her for her strength of character and her humanity.

"Where is Beth?" Dawn asked.

"She got away." said Pullman pressing his hand against the side of his head to try and stop the bleeding.

"What do you mean, she got away?"

"There was another guy, that guy we brought in the other day. He jumped me from behind and really did a number on me."

"You let her get away?"

"I didn't have a choice. The two of them beat me unconscious."

"This is your fault. This is on you, Officer Pullman."

Dawn slapped Pullman in the face but he didn't back down and stood nose to nose with her. They were roughly the same height although Pullman was twice as wide. He stared intensely into her eyes almost challenging her or goading her into a fight.

Then in an instant, Dawn took her pistol from her holster and whipped Pullman round the head with it. His head snapped back as he crumpled to the ground in a heap. Dawn hit him again and then a third time in the back of his head with blood seeping out and turning his hair a dark crimson red.

Pullman was unconscious but Dawn wasn't going to stop. With tears in her eyes , she kicked him in the face so hard it knocked one of his teeth clean out of his mouth.  
She hit him again with the butt of her pistol, this time in the side of his head just above his eyebrow. Blood caked his whole body now. Dawn was panting heavily and then looked at her hands, almost in disbelief at what she had just done.

But one thing was certain. She had to find Beth and Daryl. She had to stop them from leaving the hospital at all costs. She would need help from Dr Edwards so she marched off leaving Pullman's bloody and battered body behind.

xxxxxxxx

3.

Beth was fast asleep now with her head resting on Daryl's shoulder. Daryl thought she looked kind of cute when sleeping. Her body sighed softly and her blonde hair fell down stroking the back of Daryl's shoulder. Daryl took the time to think about everything that happened to him.

He thought about Merle. What would he think if he knew he had risked his life to save a girl? He thought about Rick and Carol. He thought about Terminus and how easily his journey could have ended right there. No reunion with Beth, no happy ending, nothing. Just butchered and eaten. That would have been the worst way for his journey to end.  
And then he thought about Beth. He thought about the night they got drunk in that old house. Listening to her play her songs on the piano and her beautiful voice. He had never heard anything so beautiful in all his life.

He thought about training her to fight; letting her hold his crossbow and taking down some walkers. He needed his crossbow back. And then just like that she was taken from him in that black car. It sped off too fast, he couldn't catch it. It was only a few days but those days smeared his heart with light amid a vast ocean of darkness.  
He was actually happy then.

Daryl looked over at Beth sleeping and kissed her gently on the top of her head.

xxxxxxxxx

 

4.

Pullman's body washed in blood lay still on the hard, cold ground.

His breathing stopped. That was when his eyelids burst open. His once blue eyes now grey as he staggered up to his feet.

He hissed and groaned at parts of his skin began to fall off. He lumbered and swayed as he walked forward in slow stilted movements.

Officer Pullman was a walker and he was hungry - hungry for brains and blood.

xxxxxxxxx

5.

"Are you awake?" Daryl whispered.

"Yeah, I've been awake this whole time. I was just thinking."

"What about?"

"About everything. About you. About me. About the world. Now the world's gone to shit. My father's gone. Maybe Maggie's gone too. I don't have anything left except this moment here."

"Maggie's still alive. We made it to a church."

"She is? I have to make it. I have to see her again."

"We will. Of course we're going to make it. We have to."

"I think we should make a move."

"You're right, Beth. But best go prepared. You see anything around here you could use as a weapon?"

Beth looked around the room but couldn't find anything suitable. There was nothing sharp that she could use to stab a walker.

Beth got frustrated and grabbed the mop and smashed it against the wall. The end broke off and then she snapped it half over her knee. The wood snapped unevenly creating one sharp end. Beth spun it around in the air.

"Looks like this will have to do." she said.

"Pretty impressive." Daryl said, standing up and patting her on the back. "Looks like you're okay on your own two feet now."

"Yeah. I'm not helpless like you think."

"I believe you." Daryl said holding his lower back. "But I'm not sure about me. I'm still pretty beat. You might have to carry me."

"That's ridiculous." she said playfully slapping him on the arm.

Beth then thought about trying it. She squatted down and wrapped both arms around Daryl's legs and tried to lift him. She barely got him in an inch off the ground and Daryl burst out laughing. He then reached down and in one fluid motion scooped Beth into his arms and spun her around in circles until they were both dizzy.

"I thought you said you were pretty beat?" Beth asked wondering how he still had the strength to pick her up so easily.

"Trust no one, Beth."

They both laughed and he spun her around again. She flailed her legs around in the air and leaned back as far as she could, stretching her arms out to the wall and then sitting up and holding Daryl one more time.

"I just want to stay in this moment forever, Daryl." Beth said.

Daryl didn't reply but he didn't need to. He leaned in a kissed her on the mouth.

"We can." Daryl then replied. "Let's get out of this hospital first though. I don't want to die in some rat-infested hole in the middle of Atlanta. I'd rather die in some other rat-infested hole."

He put Beth down steadily on her feet and she turned the handle and opened the door. As soon as she did, a grotesque grey face appeared in front of her. Its skin was hanging off and melting as it salivated and groaned and reached and tried to claw for Beth. Daryl tried to close the door but the walker managed to wriggle into the room.

Beth and Daryl stared at the walker and Beth's eyes lit up in horror.

It was Officer Pullman.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	5. These Days Remain

The walker lunged at Daryl and tackled him to the ground. The walker was fresh and strong and lay on top of him gnarling his teeth as Daryl held the top of his skull desperately trying to push him off.

The walker's teeth got dangerously close - so close, he could almost feel them scratch his skin. Then blood splattered all over Daryl's face and eyes and mouth. He spat it and wretched thinking he was going to be sick. Then more blood splattered over him as he looked up and saw Beth.

She jammed the broken mop into the walker's skull again and again and again. She slammed it into its neck and its eyes and its temple, crushing it and smashing it to pieces. Daryl looked at her face. He had never seen her like this before. She looked psychotic - her face twisted in rage.

Daryl got to his feet and tried to restrain Beth, holding back her arm.

"Beth, that's enough!" But Beth didn't listen and squirmed out of Daryl's grip and continued to beat the walker down mercilessly. "Die! You son of a bitch! Die!"

"Beth, he's already dead. Let's just get out of here."

"He tried to rape me." said Beth, regaining her senses wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Just one more!"

Beth then hit one last time flattening its cranium. The remains of Officer Pullman were now completely unrecognisable. Beth dropped the mop and buried her head deep within Daryl's chest. He stroked her hair and whispered softly.

"It's going to be okay."

Beth took one sat look at Officer Pullman's body and spat on it. Daryl put his large arm around her and led her out of the utility room.

They were back in the labyrinth of corridors. Beth was trying to think about where the exit was. Her memory was hazy of the time they first brought her there. She remembered the entrance and then Gorman's sick, twisted face staring down at her. Then nothing. They turned a corner and saw Dawn talking to two other police officers. Daryl pulled Beth back behind the corner and they hid, crouched down with their backs against the wall.

"I don't think they spotted us." Daryl said.

"What do we do now?"

"We've got to get our weapons back. That's the only way we're going to get out of here."

"The room is all the way on the other side of the hospital. How are we going to get there without being seen?"

Daryl thought of a plan. He looked up and saw an air vent running along the ceiling. Beth looked up too and her heart sank.

"You can't be serious."

"You got a better idea, Beth?"

Beth sighed. Daryl cranked his head around the corner again. Dawn was still standing with her back to them talking to the other two officers. This was their chance.

"Come on, you little ass-kicker. We're going up."

And Beth could utter another sigh of protest Daryl snatched her up lifting her high into the air. "Can you reach it?" Beth stretched her arms towards the air vent but they missed by mere millimetres as the tips of her fingers brushed against the aluminium panel.

"Give me another boost."

Daryl muttered something unintelligible under his breath. Most likely it was something along the lines of, "god damn this girl always gets me into trouble".

Daryl tossed her up a little higher catching her thighs and wobbling slightly as her weight crashed down on him. This time Beth reached up and grabbed the vent and pulled off the metal panel. "Good work. Now get up there as quietly as you can."

"What do I do with this?" asked Beth waving the metal panel in front of Daryl's face.

"Jesus." Daryl knew that if she dropped it on the floor or it hit against the side of the vent it would make too much noise. Dawn was still just right around the corner and he had already got clued up from Noah and Beth on how dangerous she was.

Daryl put Beth down and lowered the metal panel to the ground without a sound. Beth gave him a thumbs up and Daryl winked back at her. Daryl then lifted Beth up again straining a little as each time he lifted her she seemed to gain ten pounds. "We make a great tag team, right?" Beth said, giggling.

"The best."

Daryl hoisted her higher and she grabbed the sides of the vent and pulled herself in. Daryl was next. He hadn't thought this far ahead with the plan. He jumped up as high as he could but he couldn't quite reach it. Even when Beth held her arms out, he was still a few inches away.

Daryl thought for a moment and then pointed down the corridor.

"I've got another idea. I'll meet you up there in five minutes. Stay put."

Daryl was already gone before Beth could ask him what his plan was. But she trusted him. She trusted him to get them both out of the hospital alive. Beth squirmed her way through the tight metal vent with barely enough space to wriggle her forearms to push herself along. Beth slid silently along the duct above where Dawn was talking to the two officers. Their voices were loud, reverberating against the steel duct. Beth peered down from the metal panel and tried to listen into their conversation the best she could. She recognised the other two officers. The large bald man was Licari and female officer was Shephard. They were two of the good ones. She never had any problems with them and they often made her feel quite at home in the hospital. Beth wondered what they could be talking about so she turned her ear to the ground and listened.

"What's the status outside?" Dawn asked in a serious tone.

"It's crazy." replied Licari. "There's a big herd heading right in this direction. We tried to stop them but there's just too many of them."

"How many are we talking about?" asked Dawn.

"Hundreds. At least. Maybe five hundred or more."

"They'd rip this whole place apart. Ok, we have to think of a plan to draw them away. I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you two to go out there one more time and scout the situation. Is our path still clear to the farm houses?"

"No ma'am." relied Licari. "They've blocked off the whole route. It's insane out there. We can't pick any more supplies or people until that herd is cleared."

"Shit. We've got enough problems here with those two patients missing. Let alone all this." The phrase "big herd" sent a shiver down her spine. Her memory was still fresh with images of the farm and how it was torn down by the big herd of walkers that came through. How her sister, Patricia was snatched from her and devoured while still holding her hand. The memory was burned into the retina of her eye and she could never escape it. It and haunted her ever since.

Suddenly Beth felt a large heavy hand clamp down on her shoulder. She gasped and turned her head and let out a huge sigh of relief. It was Daryl. He gave her another wink although this time it was a little less reassuring.

"Dawn said there's a big herd heading this way." Beth whispered.

"Well, we better get out of here but they get here then."

Daryl and Beth crawled along the air duct passing Dawn and the officers and making their way to the room where they kept all the weapons.

It was a tight squeeze for Beth and Daryl was almost completely stuck, just barely managing to push himself through using his heels and holding his breath.

"How did you even get in here?" Beth asked him.

"You know what they say. Where there's a will there's a way."

Beth led from the front. She knew where she was going and crawled her way to the room where the weapons were kept. Both Daryl and Beth looked down together.

"This is it." Daryl said punching the metal panel through.

He jumped down first landing feet first and then rolling. He got back up as Beth jumped. She thought she was going land on the hard floor so she was surprised when he caught her in his arms.

"Nice catch, Daryl." she said playfully slapping him on the shoulder.

Daryl and Beth searched the room. There were lots of weapons stacked up on the table just as before: AK-47s, RPGs, handguns, switchblades but his crossbow was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it, they took it!" he screamed.

Daryl checked out the AK-47. He thought that would be a useful weapon but Beth shook her head and placed her hand over his to prevent him from picking it up.

"Sorry Daryl, if we're going to get out of here, we're going to have to be stealthy about it. We can't just shoot the place up. Remember they have guns too and there are more of them. Maybe as many as twenty officers not including Dawn. And not counting the other doctors and nurses too."

"So you're saying we should grab a knife and slit their throats from behind."

"That's more like it." Beth said laughing nervously. She couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. But when he didn't reply, she could tell he was. Beth knew she was tough but was she really a cold blooded killer. She couldn't believe Daryl was either. He had too much of a kind heart.

Daryl took two knives from the table and gave one to Beth. Beth placed her index finger on the tip and it drew blood. She squealed her put her finger in her mouth to suck the blood off.

"Knives aren't toys, Beth. You see one of them, you take them down, you hear?" he said, obviously taking Rick's advice to heart a little too much.

"Can you show me how?"

"There ain't time now. You just stick with me, you'll be fine."

Daryl readied his knife as he opened the door. He was ready to kill anything in that moved in front of him to protect Beth and get them both out of the hospital. He checked both sides to make sure no one was coming and then raised his hand to give the signal to Beth to follow him out. They walked hunched over as they zig-zagged down corridors hugging the walls and peering around every corner. Every time there was the slightest sound, they stopped and hid and waited. It all seemed quite now though. Even Dawn, Licari and Shephard were nowhere to be seen. Beth always stayed close to Daryl. She pressed right up against him and she could feel his slow breathing. He seemed so calm, completely the opposite of her. Her heart was racing at a million miles per hour and pounding so hard, it felt like it was going to come out of her chest.

"Just stay here a minute, Beth. I just want to check out over there. There's a stairwell. I think we can get down all the way to the bottom from there."

Daryl's plan was simple but there was an officer guarding it.

He was looking straight ahead of him and Daryl knew that if he moved an inch to the left he would be seen.

"What are you going to do?" Beth asked softly in his ear.

"Wait here. I'm going to try and climb the vent and drop down just above him. Then I'm going to kill him and then call out to you. You trust me?"

"I trust you."

Daryl gave another wink but Beth was worried and hugged him tight.

"Good luck, Daryl." she said, thinking about if it went wrong the he could die.

"Don't worry about me. If shit hits the fan, just get yourself out. Don't cry over me for a second. You got that?"

She tried but the tears were already starting to form in her eyes.

Daryl then turned to his right and jumped on the window sill and then up to the vent. He was graceful like a gazelle and he didn't even make the smallest sound as he hauled himself up inside the metal tube.

Beth sat and waited. She waited for his signal. Looking up, she could almost see the intention of his body in the metal duct. He was so amazing, he could really do anything.  
Beth watched him in awe like some kind of superhero. She cheered breathlessly when a large shadow loomed over her.

A sickening smell of chemicals hung in the air.

Then suddenly a hand clamped down over her nose and mouth holding a white handkerchief, while another arm snaked around her slim waist. Beth eyes widened as she struggled and bit and clawed.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	6. Rescuing Beth

Daryl looked down and caught a direct bird's eye view of the officer from behind the tiny slits cut into the panelling of the air duct. He was unmoving, not even so much as blinking like one of those British sentries who guard the Buckingham Palace. He had a handgun on him, safely stowed away in his holster and a knight stick. The man was short, but quite stocky with thick legs and chest. Daryl had taken down bigger men though and he knew what he had to do as adrenaline pumped through his veins. It was now or never.

He punched through the metal panel and before the officer could even look up, Daryl jumped down on top of him and they both crashed to the floor. The impact of the fall winded Daryl and he held the side of his ribs. That was all the opportunity that the officer guard needed and he cracked Daryl on the jaw with a right hook.

If crashing to the ground knocked the wind out of him, that right hook just knocked the bejesus out of him. He was stunned and dazed, trying to shake it off as the heavy-set officer scrambled to his feet and dived on top of him.

He wrapped his forearm across Daryl's throat and started choking him, wrenching back and hammerlocking Daryl's right arm behind his back. Daryl struggled to break free but the more he did, the more the officer synched up and put more pressure on his neck.

Daryl could feel himself being choked and the air rushing out of his body and everything started to fade around him. He kept hoping for Beth to run and make the save but she never came.

Daryl wasn't going to give up though. He stumbled up to his feet and then pushed backwards as hard as he could ramming the officer into the wall. Spinning around he connected with a forearm shot which just glazed his nose, not cleanly but enough to draw blood - a lot of it. Daryl reared up for another strike but the officer blocked it and the two men grappled and wrestled pushing through the door to the stairwell. Daryl saw the stairwell and he tried desperately to wrestle the officer round to face that side. Daryl punched the officer once more leaving a nasty black eye and the he wobbled just above the steps teetering over the edge. Daryl tried to pull him back, he didn't want to kill him. Daryl reached out and tried to grab his arm but the officer grabbed him around the neck but then lost his balance and the momentum sent them both tumbling down the stairwell hitting each individual step on the way down.

Each step brought a thud and an ache as he bounced down on his back and shoulder and his head. Daryl then heard a snap and everything went black.

Groans were the first thing Daryl heard when he slowly opened his eyes and came back to the world. He groaned himself but he was happy to still be alive. He wondered if the officer was ok and he looked across to see the officer lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

Shit. He looked in rough shape. His arms and legs were all twisted and mangled and splayed out like some kind of hideous modern art. Daryl tried to sit up but pain rippled through his entire body from his ribs all the way up to the top of his head.

His eyelids shot open. Grey dead eyes stared back at Daryl. Daryl knew immediately that the officer was a walker. It sat up now unaffected by the pain and suffering its death and reached over to Daryl who kicked its arm away. But within seconds the walker was almost on top of him and Daryl had to use all the strength he had left to push it off him.  
Daryl then noticed the knight stick lying on the ground and didn't hesitate. He forced it through the walker's skull, leaving it lodged in so deep that it came out the other side instantly destroying the brain and leaving the walker to simply crumble to the ground at Daryl's feet. Daryl kicked the walker one more time for good measure. There was no way he was going to let one little walker stop him from getting Beth out of the hospital.

Daryl checked the officer walker and found his handgun. He took it from his holster and checked the magazine to see how many bullets were left. He sighed when he saw that it was completely empty. The officer had been bluffing the whole time, obviously not expecting a real fight.

Daryl gathered his senses and called out to Beth.

"Beth! Where are you?"

He hadn't seen her or heard her voice and she hadn't come so he was starting to get worried. He made his way back up the stairwell and back to where he told Beth to hide.  
She wasn't there but her knife was lying on the ground next to a white cloth. Daryl picked up the knife. He was sure it was the one that he gave to her. He then picked up the white cloth. The foul odour of sweet smelling chemicals made him gag and he threw it down.

Goddamn, she was drugged, he thought to himself. He had all the evidence to know that they had got Beth again and he had to find her. Holding her knife of him ready to take down anything that moved he was going to rescue Beth even if it killed him.

 

xxxxxx

2.

Beth groggily opened her eyes.

The taste of chloroform still hung in her breath as she coughed and spluttered. Her head felt like a thousand drums were playing inside and she felt sick like she was going to throw up.

Her vision came back, slowly at first as only hazy images of people in white lab coats and police uniforms passed through her periphery. No clear faces and the room she was in seemed to sway from side to side like they were in a rocking boat.

Beth tried to stand up but she realised she couldn't. She thought it might be just the after-effects of the chloroform so she just tried move her hands but a thick rope rubbed against her wrists and burned. She realised that her hands were tied behind her back. Beth looked down and saw that her ankles were tied too preventing her from standing.

She struggled against her bonds but it was useless - she was held fast.

Beth's vision came back, the fuzzy swirls were now clear images - razor sharp, like day once again and a familiar face knelt down in front of her and adjusted his black-rimmed spectacles. He was looking a little worse for wears after his altercation with Daryl. A had huge blue welch on his eye and the lenses on his classes were cracked.

"How are we feeling, Beth?"

"Go to hell, Dr Edwards!"

"That's not a very nice way to talk to someone who saved your life."

"You didn't save my life, you maniac! Now let me go!"

Beth struggled again but her head started hurting. The effects of the drug hadn't worn off yet and she lay her head against the wall and thought about this crazy scientist saving her life. She knew he was a fraud. The taste of the drug made her memory race back to the funeral home, back to when she got separated fem Daryl and back to when she was taken.

She knew they hadn't found her in the roadside like Dawn claimed. Beth had easily dispatched two walkers. It wasn't until Gorman tackled her from behind leaving that nasty scar on her left cheek that she was in trouble. She remembered Gorman smothered her with that same cloth and before she even so much as utter a scream, she had passed out and was being thrown in the back seat of the black car.

"You and your people think you're saving people?"

"Yes, we save people everyday and then in return, they help us. Isn't that right Officer O'Donnell?"

Officer O'Donnell, a tall man with slicked back black hair and about as trustworthy looking as a car salesman, took a step forward towards Beth.

"That's right." he said. "We put our lives on the line everyday to keep this place going. Gorman did and so did Pullman before their untimely passing. This is a true sanctuary."

"Bullshit!" shouted Beth. "I know what this place is. You kidnap people here against their will and then force them to become slaves to keep you fat pigs alive. But you only take the weak. The strong ones you let die because you know they will fight back. Well you know what, I'm not weak, so you're going to have to kill me."

Dr Edwards chuckled. "Oh Beth, we very much know how strong you are and that's what we like about you. You're an asset to our group and Dawn seems to have taken to you. That's in your favour too and you should be thankful for that. Some others weren't so lucky."

"Why do you say 'weren't'?"

"Because Dawn killed them." said O'Donnell, interjecting.

"I won't help you." said Beth. "I'm going to get out of here with Daryl!"

"Ah, Mr Dixon." said Dr Edwards pushing his glasses up against the bridge of his nose. "Unfortunately we were unable to locate his whereabouts but rest assured he will be found and dealt with severely. He has caused quite a ruckus already since being administered into Grady."

"What are you planning to do?"

"We haven't decided yet."

"I say kill him." O'Donnell said interrupting again.

Dr Edwards put his hands up to try and calm him down and ease the tension. He knelt down beside Beth once more and smiled. To Beth, it was just the seediest, most leering and disgusting smile she had ever seen in her life.

He put her hand on her cheek and Beth recoiled shaking her head violently to knock his hand away.

"Now, Beth, are you going to tell us where Daryl is?"

Beth was silent. She could never give him up. She cared for Daryl too much. "Tell us, you little bitch!" shouted O'Donnell getting in her face and grabbing her chin.

Beth again didn't answer but instead hocked back and spat right at O'Donnell leaving a huge glob of saliva slithering down the side of his face from the top of his brow.

"Ok, we have ways to make you talk Beth." said Dr Edwards.

He searched the drawer and pulled out a small bottle with a clear liquid inside. Beth started to panic and desperately tried to free her arms.

"Don't worry, it's not a sedative." said Dr Edwards trying to calm her. "But have you ever heard of chinese water torture?"

"What are you planning, you sick son of a bitch?"

"Well I'm not quite sure of the origins myself. But many people, including Fu Manchu used to use it to torture his victims in public by slowly driving them insane. This bottle I'm holding might seem harmless enough but just a few drops on your forehead and you'll see what I mean. Now, we don't want to hurt you. All we want you to do is tell us where we can find Mr Dixon so we can bring him back for some proper medical care. Now, O'Donnell, please prepare the lady."

O'Donnell used both hands to grasp Beth's head and he squeezed tightly jerking her neck and forcing her to look up. She saw Dr Edwards looking down at her and she closed her eyes as he poured just a few drops that landed in the centre of her forehead.

The water was icy cold and it landed with a hollow echo which reverberated throughout her skull. But she gritted her teeth and she knew she could take the pain as Dr Edwards poured the bottle letting a few more droplets spill down onto her forehead once more.

"Give up yet, Beth?"

"Not a chance!"

"Fine. It's your choice. You can stop this anytime."

Dr Edwards poured a few more drops of water down hitting the directly in the centre of her forehead and then dripping down her nose and onto her lips. The next few drops hurt badly as the small drops of water were so sharp, they started to feel like they were drilling right through to her brain.

Beth cried out but Dr Edwards didn't stop and neither did O'Donnell who was applying an agonising grip on the base of Beth's nape. She cried out again and Dr Edwards relented pausing for a few moments. Beth panted, completely shaken by the punishment and all she could hear was the sound of O'Donnell's sickening cackle. He was laughing away like he was in a comedy club at Beth hyperventilating on the ground like it was the funniest thing in the world.

"Shall we get her ready for round two?" O'Donnell asked Edwards.

"Beth, will you just not tell us where Mr Dixon is? I promise this will all be over."

Beth spat at them again but she was so weak now, it barely made it passed her lips and it just dribbled down her chin and onto the floor. Beth felt faint, her arms felt were numb and she fell to the ground. O'Donnell caught her just before she hit the ground and shook her roughly.

"Oh, no you don't." he said manhandling her. "You don't get to faint just yet. We're not finished with you."

Dr Edwards poured the bottle one more time and Beth screamed out as the water hit her forehead. She wanted it to stop. She couldn't take much more of this but she had to keep fighting - for herself and for Daryl.

"We're not going to give you another chance, Beth." said Dr Edwards sternly. "Either tell us where Mr Dixon is or we will have to resort to more extreme methods. Show her, O'Donnell."

O'Donnell reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pair of pliers snapping them in front of Beth's eyes.

"I think we'll start with your pretty little toes." he said. "And then your cute little nose. And then finally, your eyes."

Beth's eyes widened in fear. These guys were going to torture her to death.

"Where is Mr Dixon?" "Yeah, where is that punk?"

Beth was silent again and squeezed her eyes shut expecting a great amount of pain.

"You looking for me?" The voice shot out and rang around Beth's ears. She recognised it instantly. It was him - it was Daryl. She looked up and saw him standing in the doorway, bloodied and bruised.

"You sorry son of a bitch, doc. Looks like I'm going to have to take you out twice."

Daryl leapt forwards and grabbed Dr Edwards and punched him in the stomach. O'Donnell immediately reached for his knight stick and charged at him but Daryl put Dr Edwards up as a shield and then pushed him into O'Donnell sending both down to the ground.

Edwards was unconscious and O'Donnell fought to push him off but he was stopped in his tracks when Daryl delivered a size 15 boot right to the head leaving him stunned and dazed.

Daryl turned to Beth who was still breathing heavily. He untied her and hugged her and helped her to stand draping her arm around his shoulder.

"You're going to be ok, Beth. I'm here now. And we're getting out of here!"

"Thank you, Daryl! I love you! I love you so much!"

They turned and hobbled and limped but as they were about to leave they suddenly saw Dawn burst in brandishing her gun and pointing it at them. "I'm sorry, but you're not going anywhere."

"Oh yeah?" replied Daryl not in the least bit scared by having a gun pointed in his face.

Dawn backed away to the far side of the room but she kept her gun aimed directly at them. Daryl and Beth got the hint and slowly moved backwards themselves.

"We're leaving, Dawn." said Beth. "You can't stop us."

"I told you, you're not going anywhere."

"Why the hell not?" asked Daryl.

"Because you owe us."

And with that Dawn pulled the trigger and shot Daryl in the head.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	7. Square One

Beth opened her eyes. She was lying on a bed, draped in white sheets with a band-aid on her forehead. What had happened? Beth tried to think back, past the smoky fog that blurred her mind and then she remembered. The clear image of Dawn was still etched in her memory. She shot at Daryl. It had missed but caught him on the side of the head. He was bleeding badly. Beth tried to cover the wound with her hand.

Then she looked back at Dawn and lunged at her trying to wrestle the gun out of her hands. Dawn easily overpowered her though and delivered one punch to the side of her face which knocked Beth out cold.

Beth didn't remember anything after that. She sat up and looked around the room. There were no doctors. She thought she was alone but when she looked across she saw Daryl Dixon lying in the bed beside her.

He was lying, eyes closed with a bandage wrapped around his head. He was unmoving except for his chest which moved up and down with each small breath. He was alive. The two beds were so close, almost touching. Beth rolled over and leaned out to stroke his arm. His skin was so cold like ice. Tears started to well up. She knew she should have done more to protect him. As she began to cry a single droplet trickled down her cheek landing on the back of Daryl's hand. Daryl twitched and Beth's eyes lit up.

Then nothing and he remained still. But Beth knew there was still life in his body and she wasn't going to give up hope. They had been through too much already to just throw in the towel and Daryl had taught her so much - how to survive and how to keep going, even when you thought it was pointless. Beth mustered enough strength to pull herself out of the bed and stand up. When her feet hit the ground, she stumbled backwards - still shaky and her muscles weak. When she regained her composure, she crouched down next to Daryl. This seemed like deja vu for Beth after Daryl was brought into the hospital just a few days before. She knelt down and prayed once more and then clasped his huge hand in both of hers and held it to her face.

"Oh Daryl," she cried breathlessly. "Looks like we're back to square one. Please make it. I know you can. You're strong, much stronger than I ever could be."

"Where am I?" A soft but deep voice sang to the depths of her heart. Daryl's eyelids fluttered open as they caught the light reflected from above. He stared blankly at her as she laughed and cried as she clutched him and shook him and kissed him.

"Daryl, you're alive!"

"What is this place?"

"It's Grady Memorial Hospital. You were brought here after they hit you with a car."

Daryl continued to stare blankly at her.

"Don't you remember?" Beth continued. "I was brought her too after being abducted from the funeral home. Remember the night we spent together there?"

Daryl shook his head and Beth started to get worried. She looked into his blue eyes but she it was like staring into a black hollow with no soul.

"My name is Beth Greene, Daryl. You saved me. Come on, you must remember."

But Daryl simply shook his head again.

Beth's heart sank.

Beth inspected the bandage wrapped around his head. She realised he must have taken quite a blow but she didn't think it would be this bad. She lay the tips of her fingers upon the rough thick surface of the bandage. She couldn't imagine how much he was suffering.

"No matter what, I still love you." she said kissing him lightly on the forehead.

He mumbled and almost smiled but his face remained sullen and unchanged.

Then Beth heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Dawn. A lump formed in her throat. It was always bad news whenever Dawn was around. She was more dangerous than Beth had ever imagined.

"Please don't disturb our patient, Beth."

Beth stood in front of Daryl and outstretched her arms protectively.

"You need to stop, Dawn. You've gone too far."

"No, you need to stop. You are property of this hospital, Beth. Just like Mr Dixon. You cannot leave and you cannot die, not until you've paid off your debt in full."

"You tried to kill him."

Dawn smiled in that smarmy condescending way she always did when she knew she was right.

"Come on, please, if I wanted him dead, believe me, he'd be dead. That was just warning shot, one to show that I mean business. He gets the message. Isn't that right, Daryl?"

Daryl was still dazed and out of it, staring blankly at the glaring yellow lights hanging from the ceiling.

Dawn walked towards him. Beth tried to stop her but she merely leant her shoulder in and barged her aside. "We looked after you last night, Mr Dixon. But don't worry, you're going to be just fine."

Dawn stroked the bandages on his head.

"You see this, Daryl." she continued. "Our doctors fixed you up."

Daryl looked in Dawn's eyes and a flicker of a smile brushed the side of his mouth.

"Thank you." he replied.

"You're welcome." Dawn said. "Once you're back on your feet, you will be able to perform mild duties."

"What?" Beth interjected as she put her hands on Dawn's shoulders tried to pull her back. "There's no way he will do that. Daryl is going to kick your ass."

Dawn pushed Beth away from her.

"Not everyone is as ungrateful as you, Beth." said Dawn. "He realises now, that he needs our care and is willing to work to pay off the debt. Don't forget that you have responsibilities too, Beth."

Beth was about to confront Dawn again when Officer Tanaka entered the room.

"Officer Tanaka, please explain to Beth her duties for today."

"Yes, ma'am." he replied.

Tanaka gently took Beth by the arm and led her out of the room. She resisted a little trying to lean her weight on one side, but a simple tug from Tanaka was enough to get her moving again. Beth was just glad it was him though and not O'Donnell. Tanaka was one of the better officers. He had never tried to rape her or do anything inappropriate. He was one of the good people, one of the few good people left at the hospital. He was just following Dawn's orders blindly to stay alive.

Beth looked back and took one last look at Daryl with Dawn standing over him before being yanked out of the room.

"You need to be careful of her, Mr Dixon." Dawn said holding Daryl's hand. "She's trouble."

"How can I help?"

"Tomorrow, you will become the new ward janitor. Just come to my office, Tanaka will show you which one and there will be a bucket and mop waiting for you. Do you understand?"

At first Daryl didn't reply so Dawn squeezed his hand tighter and repeated herself.

"Do you understand?" she asked again, in a more serious tone.

"Yes, I understand." Daryl replied.

"Good. I will see you tomorrow.."

Dawn turned around and switched off the lights and left the room locking the door behind her.

As soon as Daryl heard the key click, he fell into an instant dreamless sleep.

xxxxxx

Beth was sent to a different ward. She was moping the corridors and not doing a very good job. She couldn't concentrate. She couldn't stop thinking about Daryl and what must have happened to him. She was worried that his memory might never return and he would spend the rest of his life inside Grady. Tanaka had ordered her to mop the entirety of Ward 5 which covered over half over the 5th floor. At the rate she was moping, it would take another four hours to complete and Beth was already bored and tired by the work. Beth's mind kept wandering to different places all stretched out and far in the distance. Her father, Hershel; her sister, Maggie; Carl and Judith and of course, Daryl. She looked down at the mop for a moment and thought about how she might use it as a weapon to attack Dawn.

Perhaps she could break the end off and thrust it into her throat. Perhaps she could slam it into her kneecaps and break her legs and then crack her skull in while she was lying on the ground. The evil thoughts raced through her mind and gave her chills down her spine. She couldn't go through with that. She wasn't a cold blooded killer and besides, Dawn scared her. Beth kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong in that situation. Perhaps Dawn saw her before she attacked and grabbed the mop out of her hand. Beth knew that in a one-on-one fight with no weapons, she stood no chance against Dawn. Then the devil appeared before her eyes.

She saw Dawn talking to two officers, Licari and Shephard - the same two officers she had seen while she had been hiding in the vent. They were talking in exactly the same way and Dawn looked equally as distressed.

"How could this happen?" Dawn said putting her head in her hands.

"We went to check on the situation just like you asked us to, ma'am." said Licari.

"So how many are there now?" Dawn asked.

"The herd seems to have doubled in size, close to one thousand now." said Shephard. "All our routes are now blocked. I'm not sure it's safe to go out there again and check."

Beth kept her distance behind Dawn not wanting to catch her attention, but when she heard this news she couldn't help herself. She dropped the mop to the ground with a clatter and walked up to the three of them.

"You have a problem with walkers?" Beth asked.

Beth was pretty confident around walkers. She knew she could handle herself against them and she thought it would be a good way to perhaps sneak out of the hospital.

Dawn smiled the way a teacher a would smile to a student if they had tried hard but ultimately failed a test.

"Please, Beth. Your job is to clean the hospital floors. Our job is to protect this place and keep it secure. And please do a better job, this ward still looks filthy."

"But I have a lot of experience. I've lived on the outside. Daryl too. We can help."

"Beth, we've all got jobs to do. This is your job." said Dawn as she bent down and picked up the mop and handed it back to Beth.

Dawn's words reminded Beth of her sister, Maggie. That was exactly what she said to her the last time she ver saw her. Beth wondered if she would ever even find Maggie again or if she was even alive.

Dawn patted her on the head as Beth bowed her neck and lowered her eyes to the floor. She continued mopping the floor now consumed with sad thoughts about her sister.

 

xxxxxxxxx

 

The hospital was quiet.

Beth liked the quiet but she was also fearful of it.

The lights were much dimmer on the west wing side of the 5th floor and Beth was exhausted. She leant on her mop to keep her upright as she could feel herself tipping and keeling over at any minute.

There was another man mopping the floor at the far end of the corridor. He was a big guy but quiet and moving his mop from one side to another, he wore no expression and simply carried out his task like a mindless drone.

It took Beth a few seconds to realise that the man she was looking at was Daryl. He looked so different though, so dishevelled and so defeated with his bandaged head and his bruised body.

Beth suddenly found a burst of energy and ran over to him and called his name.

"Daryl!"

Daryl raised his head but looked a little confused when he saw the blonde girl running towards him.

"Daryl!" she called out again. "There are walkers headed for the hospital. We've got to get out of here."

"Walkers?" Daryl asked as if Beth had just said the strangest thing in the world. "What's a walker?"

"Have you gone crazy? The walkers have taken over the whole world and we're the ones struggling to survive now."

"Sounds like you're the crazy one, lady."

Daryl's remark was like a slap in the face but it just didn't sound like Daryl. His voice was shallow and soulless. Beth sobbed and buried her head in Daryl's oak-like chest.

"Please remember, Daryl." she said wiping the tears from her eyes. "Please."

Daryl looked down at the crying girl and suddenly a thought hit him like a bolt out of the blue. An image or a memory flashed up in the front of his mind. It was of the burning house.

The two of them were sticking their middle fingers up and cursing the building as it burnt to the ground. The image stuck in Daryl's mind for just a second and then as quickly as it came it was gone.

"Beth." he whispered.

Beth's smile grew a mile wide. "Daryl, you remember?"

"Beth, we were together. We burnt that house down and drank moonshine."

"That's right! Now what else do you remember?"

Daryl put his hand on his bandage as his head throbbed with pain. It was clear that remembering so much was exhausting him and Beth tried to hold him up to stop him from collapsing on top of her.

"It's ok, Daryl." she said. "Take it slow. Everything will come back in time."

Beth hugged Daryl again and pulled his head down to her level and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"What do you think you're doing, Beth?" shouted a familiar voice from down the corridor.

Beth turned around. It was Dawn again. There was no getting away from this woman. It was like she wasn't human the way she could always track Beth and know exactly where she was at all times.

"I told you, not to disturb, Mr Dixon." Dawn said sternly. "He's at a very delicate stage. One slip up and it could ruin the whole treatment. This isn't part of your duty, Beth. You're supposed to be on Ward 5."

"I'm sorry, I got confused."

Dawn grabbed Beth around the back of the neck and prised her away from Daryl and then pushed her away.

"I'll deal with you later, Beth. Now go back to your ward at once."

Beth shuffled along slowly but all the time looking back to see Dawn confront Daryl.

He still seemed spaced out like he was on drugs. His whole body was swaying as if he were floating on an invisible wave. "Don't let that girl influence you, you got that?" Dawn shouted.

Daryl was silent and Dawn started to get angry.

"You got that?" Dawn repeated as she slapped Daryl so hard in the face that it left a red handprint on his cheek.

"Yes ma'am." Daryl replied meekly.

"That's better."

Beth couldn't believe what she had just seen. Daryl had never been meek his entire life. He had told her stories of his childhood growing up with Merle. He had been a badass from the very start. But looking at him there being dominated by a woman half his size made Beth despair.

Beth had to think of a plan. She knew she was the only one who could do something with Daryl in this condition. Just as Daryl had saved her so many times, now it was her turn. She had to do everything she could to save Daryl herself.

 

TO BE CONTINUED….


	8. Rescuing Daryl

Chapter Eight - Rescuing Daryl

The hollow echoes of her own footsteps gave Beth a chill that ran down her spine freezing her bones and turning her dripping sweat into icicles. She clenched her fists tight ready and willing to fight but somehow desperately hoping that it would never come to that. She had no weapon but she was determined, relying solely on the advice Daryl gave her about how to defend herself (Hook their nose, gouge their eyes, bite their throats). "Can you hear me?" a fuzzy voice came from inside a staff office from a some kind of small speaker or tannoy as Beth walked by. "Can anyone hear me?" Beth recognised the voice. It was Noah, the young man she had helped escape the day before Daryl was brought to the hospital. Beth's heart raced and she leapt into the room when the voice came through again.

"If you can hear me, please respond."

The office was messy and full of stacks of paper three feet high. There were were old police uniforms tossed over the back of the chair. Beth saw the small walkie talkie buried deep beneath the stacks of paper. She picked it up and pressed down the button with her thumb.

"Noah, is that you?"

"Beth?" His voice was fuzzy and distorted and full of electrical static but Beth could hear him loud and clear. "Noah, where are you?" Beth asked, smiling and laughing and brushing back her hair that was falling over her eyes as she started to jump up and down in excitement.

"I'm with Rick and the others. I met a woman, Carol. She took me back. I stole one of the walkie talkies from the hospital. I was just hoping to get through to someone."

"Where are you?"

"Just outside Atlanta. We might have a few hold ups. There's more walkers than we thought."

Then Rick's strong and reassuring voice came over the walkie talkie. "Don't worry, Beth, we're coming for you - for you and Daryl."

"Oh Rick, it's so great to hear you again. Please come quick! Please…."

Beth was about to continue when she felt a large shadow loom over her. She spun around and gasped instantly dropping the walkie talkie to the floor with a loud crack as the plastic shattered and it split in half. She saw Dr Edwards standing right in front of her. He was a tall man and Beth had to crank her neck up to see his face when he stood so close.

"What are you doing in here?" Dr Edwards snapped. He sounded much angrier than he usually did. "You know patients aren't allowed in here."

Beth stammered and fumbled for her words but nothing coherent came out of her mouth. Then Beth looked down at Dr Edwards' hand. He was was holding a white cloth and that stench. It was the same rancid stench that made her pass out before.

"Please come along quietly, Beth." said Dr Edwards, regaining his quiet and calm voice that made Beth even more afraid. "Don't make me use force."

Dr Edwards took one pace forward then stopped and Beth took one pace backwards. Beth held her breath, anticipating his next move, waiting for him to make a lunge at her. But he stood still, towering over her like a giant totem pole. Beth took another half step back and bumped into the chair. She put her hands behind her and fingered her way through the police uniform. Suddenly her fingers touched something cold and metal. It was a gun. Beth quickly snatched the gun and held it front of her with both hands pointing it directly at Dr Edwards.

"Put your hands in the air!" she cried.

Dr Edwards smiled and even let out a small chuckle as if to sarcastically say, well done. He slowly raised his hands in the air.

"Drop that cloth right now!"

Dr Edwards paused for a second and when Beth came closer with the gun he did what he was told and finally relinquished the cloth letting it go as it fluttered down to the ground, falling on Beth's foot. Beth looked down and the horrifying fumes of the chloroform hit her in an instant and she turned her head away. It was only a second, but in that one second Dr Edwards reached and grabbed the gun. There was a struggle as the two of them wrestled for control. Beth hit Edwards with a solid right fist that sent the doctor staggering back but also left a nasty red swelling on Beth's hand.

Beth shook her hand to try and shake off the pain but before she knew it Dr Edwards was back up. He grabbed her from behind and wrapped his arms around her pinning her arms to her side. "Give it up, Beth." he said wrapping his arms tighter and squeezing her until short gasps of breath started to seep out of her lungs.

"No way, you're leaving Grady alive. No one leaves."

Beth elbowed him in the stomach and that made him loosen his grip a little, but only a little. She hit him one more time, digging her elbow sharp into his solar plexus knocking the wind right out of him.

She broke free from his hold but he as she squirmed away from him, he pushed her into the table. Her head smacked into the corner and she was dazed seeing double. Dr Edwards dusted himself off and regained his senses and walked over to Beth who was trying to pull herself up using the table.

"You're the one who chose force, Beth." he said softly. "You've got no one to blame except yourself."

Beth tried to scramble up and used all her energy to swing and hit him one more time but it barely connected and she fell half-insensible into the doctor's awaiting arms.  
She knew she couldn't give up though. She knew it was all up to her to save Daryl and get them out of there. But her head throbbed with a dull pain and she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Sorry, Beth, Daryl isn't coming to save you this time."

He wore a wicked smile that flickered up at the side like the Joker. Beth's arms lay limp by her side as Dr Edwards crouched down and picked up the white cloth left lying on the floor. He held it over her nose and mouth. Beth struggled for a few moments, tossing and turning in the Edwards' strong grip, before inhaling the sickly sweet fumes. Her vision faded and her struggles weakened and a within moments a peaceful nothingness consumed her and took her away.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

The broom moved side ways - up and down, up and down - in a never-ending, hypnotising movement where the brown brissels blurred in front of him and his heavy boots skidded along the surface squeaking as he turned the handle Daryl swept the floors thinking of nothing but the job at hand. Dawn watched over him in a tender, motherly way and smiled when Daryl finished sweeping the corridor.

"Good job, Daryl." said Dawn pushing herself against him and stroking his cheek. "You're a good boy. But you see that Beth, she's a bad girl. If you see her, I want you to take her out."

"Take her out? What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean, Daryl."

"You want me to kill Beth?"

"Do what you have to do Daryl. You've earned my trust now but she's lost mine. She's trouble and she's endangering the delicate balance we have here at this hospital. And besides I need you Daryl."

"What for?" he asked.

"We have a small problem with walkers at the hospital and I heard you have extensive experience on the outside. You can help defend the hospital."

"That's a good boy." said Dawn stroking his cheek again as Daryl flinched.

"My crossbow, I need it." Daryl said squaring up to her.

Dawn smiled and looked away. "We will get it for you." she said turning back and looking up into Daryl's brilliant blue eyes. "Not right now though. It's locked away."

"I want my damn crossbow back."

The remark angered Dawn and she punched him in the stomach so hard that it knocked the wind right out of him.

"You haven't finished sweeping the floors yet. You don't get to fight until you've finished your work."

"Beth, where is she?"

"That's none of your concern either. She is busy paying back her debt just as you are. This is the best system for the new world."

"This ain't no system. This is a goddamn mess."

A switch flicked in Dawn's brain and she suddenly snapped. She kicked the back of Daryl's knee with the flat of her foot sending him down the floor kneeling before her. Daryl wanted to fight back but he didn't have the strength. His body was still racked with agonising pain. Even as he tried to raise his hand up to make a grab at Dawn, the muscles in his arms throbbed and burned and Dawn easily swatted it away.

"Don't forget, Daryl. Whatever you were on the outside world, you're not that person anymore. You're my property now. If you see Beth again, take her out. I know I can trust you to at least do that."

Dawn threw the broom back at Daryl and stormed off down the corridor. . Daryl was so angry with himself. He had never let someone push him around like that before. He hated being so weak and he vowed to himself silently in that moment that as soon as he got healthy he was going to find Beth and kill Dawn.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Being carried over someone's shoulder sucked.

It sucked for so many reasons, Beth thought as she slowly regained consciousness and caught weary glimpses of the moving ground below. All the blood went straight to her head as her upper torso dangled helplessly draped over Dr Edwards' broad shoulder with her long blonde hair cascading down, reaching the tips of her fingers.. All she could see was the back of his white lab coat, a sea of her own tangled blonde hair and the dull grey hospital floor flying by at great speed beneath her.

She wondered where he was taking her. She didn't struggle straight away, instead acting like she was still unconscious, not wanting to catch his attention. However the stench of chloroform still hung on her lips and she couldn't help but let out a small cough. Dr Edwards immediately stopped in his tracks and Beth felt the jolt in her stomach as he shifted her slight weight up higher.

"Ah, Miss Greene, you're awake." said Dr Edwards. "Please understand that I'm not usually a violent man. But your friend Daryl have pushed me to this. If Dawn had let me, I would have already killed that guy. It's nothing personal against you. It's just you're a little easier to deal with than Daryl. Please understand that."

His words didn't register with Beth at first. Her mind was too foggy and far away. She continued to lay limp and lifeless, her vision fading in and out and Dr Edwards chuckled to himself when Beth didn't reply. "Must have passed out again." Dr Edwards said quietly to himself. "O'Donnell was wrong. I can handle the rough stuff all by myself."

A sudden image of Daryl flashed before Beth's eyes and in her mind she heard him call out to her. Her eyelids burst open and she yelled out.

"Daryl!"

Dr Edwards stopped again and laughed.

"He's not coming to save you this time." he said changing his grip on the girl and wrapping both arms now around her thighs to calm her down. "Dawn has made sure of that."  
Dr Edwards continued to carry her. His loud, echoing footsteps started to give her a headache but that was the least of her concerns. Her main concern was how she was going to get out of the horrible situation she found herself in.

All those concerns passed though in one moment as a sudden rush of blood to the head made everything go dark.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Time went by. Maybe five or ten minutes, maybe more. Beth had no idea. Time seemingly had no consequence to her now and she drifted between light and dark states for several minutes before hearing a door click and open.

She felt herself be carried inside before being carelessly tossed down to the ground as Dr Edwards groaned. She looked up and saw him standing over her shaking his shoulder off.

"You're heavier than you look." he said doubling over to catch his breath.

"Why did you bring me here?" said Beth softly holding her head and looking around the room dazed.

"This is my personal office, Beth."

A chill ran down Beth's spine. Did he just want to rape her like the other police officers? She never thought Dr Edwards was really like that.

"Don't worry though, Beth." he continued. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want you to see things from my point of view. I want you to take out Daryl. I want you to kill him."

Beth found it hard to understand him through her weary brain. Was he really asking her to kill him?

"I found a crossbow in the weapons room." said Dr Edwards picking up the heavy black crossbow from the table behind him and turning back to Beth. "It looks pretty neat."

Beth's eyes lit up. That was it. She tried to sit up but she was too weak.

Dr Edwards joked around with the crossbow and took aim with it several times, pointing it at the door, back at the table and finally at Beth. Beth shrieked held her hands up in front of her face.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to shoot you." said Dr Edwards laughing. "O'Donnell told me to bring you here. He wants to get back at Daryl too. He told me to take care of you while he is dealing with Daryl. Looks like I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Just waiting for O'Donnell to turn up with Daryl any minute now."

"Daryl is going to kick your ass so bad."

Dr Edwards burst out laughing again. "Have you seen recently? The guy doesn't know what country he is in. I know Dawn respects him but O'Donnell might deal with her too if she gets in the way."

Dr Edwards turned his back to Beth again and took aim at the far wall. He fired and the arrow shot out in a flash and flew through the air landing directly the anti-smoking poster on the far wall.

"Pretty neat, don't you think Beth?"

Dr Edwards was about to turn around when Beth suddenly sprang up and jumped on his back causing him to drop the crossbow. She crossed her forearms across his throat and tried to choke him. Dr Edwards spun around trying to shake the girl off. Beth scratched him and the doctor ran backwards and slammed Beth into the wall. Beth hung on though and her grip tightened, now clawing at his eyes as Dr Edwards desperately tried to fight her off.

Beth thought she had him as she used both hands on either side of his mouth stretching as if she was trying to pull his face apart. But Dr Edwards grabbed her by the hair and flipped her off his back sending her crashing hard to the floor. She hit her head and she looked knocked out, her arms and legs splayed out to her sides.

"You can't win, Beth." he said, holding his throat panting and coughing and out of breath. "Just accept that you're the damsel in distress who can't fight."

Dr Edwards reached down and lifted the seemingly unconscious girl in his arms in one easy, fast motion. He looked down at her helpless, sleeping face resting her head delicately on his shoulder and grinned. He could have his way and do anything he wanted.

His mind wandered to a thousand possibilities. But in that split second he didn't notice Beth open her eyes, raise her head and sink her teeth down into the his neck. She bit down as hard as she could as Dr Edwards screamed in agony.

She felt a piece of flesh ripping and tearing as the doctor dropped her to the floor. She scrambled over to the crossbow. Dr Edwards regained his senses and saw what he was doing. He reached down for the crossbow and tried to wrestle it out of Beth's hands. The two struggled for control, pushing and pulling each other until Beth finally pulled the trigger. An arrow shot out and jammed into Dr Edwards's jaw. Blood spilled from his mouth and his eyes dilated and slowly closed as he crumbled to the ground on top of Beth.

Beth pushed him off and picked up the crossbow. It was so heavy, feeling heavier than it did the last time she tried to pick it up. Beth leant down to look at Dr Edwards. She put two fingers to check his pulse. He was dead. She aimed the crossbow directly at his head and fired one more arrow straight through his brain.

"I ain't the damsel in distress you think I am." said Beth putting one more arrow through his brain to make absolutely sure he wouldn't come back as a walker.

Beth took the arrows that were lodged in Edwards' skull and the one than was stuck in the wall and reloaded the bow. She finally had the weapon and now all she needed to do was to find Daryl.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Daryl's dull mind grew ever duller as he mindlessly mopped the hospital ward.

He was a million miles away thinking about the group and the church and especially about Beth. He was so consumed with though that he didn't even notice O'Donnell approach him and grab him by the throat.

"You think you're a tough guy." said O'Donnell. "I'm going to teach you a lesson. Edwards is dealing with Beth and now I'm going to deal with you."

"I don't know what Dawn will think of that." said Daryl throwing his hand away from his throat.

"Dawn? She has no control here. I'm in charge of this place. And I'm going to have some fun with you and Beth before disposing of you."

Rage built up inside of Daryl and he swung a punch but missed and O'Donnell clocked him in the side of the head with the back of his hand.

"Maybe I will kill you right now." he said pulling out a his gun and pointing it at Daryl. "Dawn couldn't kill you with a shot but I can."

O'Donnell held his finger over the trigger as sweat poured from Daryl's brow. He stared down the barrel unafraid realising that this was the end. He closed his eyes and waited, waited for the bullet to enter his brain and end all the torment and the pain.

But it never came.

O'Donnell was about to shoot when an arrow shot out and hit him in the right eye. Blood sprayed out all over Daryl and he opened his eyes realised what had happened. He looked across and saw Beth running down the corridor holding the crossbow. O'Donnell staggered backwards holding his eye before collapsing to the ground in a heap.

Beth ran over and aimed the crossbow at him. "Please don't kill me." O'Donnel cried. "I didn't mean to hurt you. It was all Dawn. She put me and Edwards up to all of this."

Beth's expression was unmoved though and she stared a hole right through O'Donnell all the way down to his soul. But all she could see was a sea of blackness, an empty void where his soul should be. He was nothing - in this world or the last and in one instant blood raced across Beth's eyes as she shot O'Donnell - killing him.

Beth sighed and dropped the crossbow to the ground. Tears began to swell up as she turned to Daryl.

"I told you I'd save you." she said as she smiled.

Daryl smiled back and pulled her into a powerful embrace.

Daryl couldn't believe Beth had it in her to do all that by herself, but he realised in that second that Beth was tough and a survivor and he wanted to be with her.

Daryl craned his neck down and locked lips with Beth and they kissed a suculent, sweet, tender kiss for a long, long time.

TO BE CONTINUED…..


	9. 9 - Hope and Desperation

Daryl and Beth ran hand in hand around each meandering turn - the never ending labyrinth of corridors went on and on. They were both panting and out of breath, running at full speed but even in these moments of pure adrenaline and excitement, for Beth, everything seemed to turned down to slow motion. She could hear every breath come out of Daryl's mouth and hear every footstep they made as if it were as loud as a sledgehammer crashing down on some unfortunate victim's skull.

"We're almost there! We're going to make it!" Daryl cried.

Despite being more in-tune to sound than she had ever been, the words simply seemed to pass Beth by as if they just background noise amidst the thumping of their hurried feet. Daryl was at least six inches taller than Beth and with his long legs he was striding ahead of her and Beth, a couple of paces behind, could feel herself be pulled along with his strong muscular arm, so much so that she felt like she was flying.

Suddenly Daryl stopped and Beth's momentum sent her crashing into his sturdy chest. They were at another turning. It didn't look any different to Beth but Daryl had that look in his eye that look of determination that gave Beth so much confidence. She loved that look. She trusted him and she knew as long as they were together, they were going to survive.

"This is it!" Daryl said. "This is the exit. It's just around this corner."

"Stop right there!" came a booming male voice from behind them.

They both spun around and saw Licari and Shepard pointing guns at them. Daryl groaned. He couldn't believe that he had got so far but was going to be stopped at the final turn. But both Beth and Daryl had seen them and seen the good in them. They knew they were just being used by Dawn.

"You're going to stop us leavin'?" Daryl asked.

"Not now." Licari said. "It's not safe now!"

"That's right." Shepard added. "Just do what we say and you won't get hurt. We have no problem with either of you but there's a big problem outside."

"I heard there are walkers." said Beth.

"You heard correct." Licari said, lowering his gun just slightly as he knew he could never actually kill another human being. "Dawn ordered us to patrol the entrance. It will all be under control soon."

Licari and Shepard put away their guns and walked around the corner. Their faces turned white with horror. The entrance was two large glass push/pull doors that had been reinforced with wooden beams to prevent the walkers breaking in. This was once the officers main exit to the outside world and where they brought Beth and Daryl into the hospital. But now there were hundred of walkers all clambering and groping at the glass panel and it was starting to crack.

"Oh shit!" Licari cried.

"It's gonna break!" Shepard shouted.

Daryl peaked around the corner to see the huge herd of walkers pounding away at the glasses. Their moans and groans now reverberating all around and Daryl knew it wouldn't be long before they would be trying to devour his brains.

"Beth, we've gotta get out of here."

"Where?"

"Anyway but this way."

Licari and Shepard were too distracted to notice Daryl and Beth slip off in the opposite direction. They stood guns locked and loaded, ready to defend the hospital just as Dawn had ordered. Then the glass broke and the walkers came pouring in. Loud shots were fired. The first two walkers hit squad in the forehead, two more impaled on the broken glass with others held up behind them. But the sheer mass of dead broke through and they slowly staggered through the corridors, filling it and consuming it. Licari and Shepard fired more bullets taking out another the whole first line of walkers. But another wave came and another wave came and there were just too many of them. Eventually they were swamped and the walkers ripped their flesh off their bodies and continued to pile into the narrow corridor at a rapid rate.

Daryl and Beth heard the screams. They knew what had happened. They knew those officers had met the same fate as so many others. The grotesque monsters had sunk their teeth deep within and now they would become them - another enemy to fight in this ongoing struggle.

Daryl took Beth's hand again as they both ran as fast as they could. They didn't know where but they just had to get away from the walkers. Then Beth remembered about the Elevator Shaft. She remembered Noah showing her and she remembered her first escape attempt and her second. But this time she wasn't going to be stopped. This time she was going to escape with Daryl Dixon.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the walkers continued to pour into the hospital, Dawn sat alone in her office. She reflected on everything that had happened. It was all going so smoothly until she met Beth and got too close to her. It got worse when she met Daryl and she sat silently looking at the photograph of her and her husband, Hanson. They had once been so happily married. Before the end of the world, they had been thinking about settling down and starting a family. They both took great pride in being police officers. Serving the Atlanta area was a tough job but the daily stresses and struggles they faced never once wavered their undying love. That was until she had to kill him. It never had to be like this, she thought. And now she was going to lose her hospital too.

She opened the table drawer and pulled out a revolver. She checked to see if it was loaded. It was full with six rounds. With tears in her eyes and the sound of walkers in the background ripping her staff and patients apart, she slowly placed the revolver against her temple. She squeezed her eyes closed and screamed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Daryl and Beth found a small hiding place in Dr Edwards office. His dead body was still lying there with an arrow lodged in his skull.

"Did you do that?" Daryl asked with a smile.

"You taught me how to defend myself." Beth replied smiling back at him. "Listen, Daryl."

"Yeah?"

Beth paused for the longest time and the silence was almost palpable. She gulped and had to look away from Daryl as she spoke.

"This might be the end. The walkers will be here soon. We can't hide forever. But even if this is the end, I want to tell you that I love you. You helped me so much, Daryl. You came for me! You kept looking for me and you never gave up."

"You saved my life to, Beth. Looks like we're even."

Beth reached up and hugged Daryl squeezing him tight.

"If this is my last moment," she said. "I just want to say, thank you."

Beth kissed Daryl on the lips and Daryl returned in kind. Gently massaging her back, the two for a moment completely forgot where they were. They were not in danger, they were not in an apocalypse - they were simply with each other and Beth wanted that tender moment to last forever.

Almost oblivious to the sound of the snarls and groans from just a few metres away, they continued to passionately kiss.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Dawn squeezed her eyes close and screamed but she couldn't do it. She couldn't pull the trigger. With a fierce look of determination she knew she had to protect her hospital. She took the gun and inhaled deeply before opening the door and stepping out into the corridor.

But in an instant she wished she hadn't. There were hundreds of walkers all reaching out for her, all looking to tear into her and turn her into one of their own. She fired the six rounds as she could, in a panic she missed all six shots, only slowing down a few of the front walkers. She threw the revolver at the herd but it had no effect. She then turned and ran.

The walkers were just a few feet away, their long gnarly fingers almost touching her. The smell of their putrid skin hanging in the air as Dawn fumbled and tripped and panicked and looked for an escape. She looked for an open door, anywhere she might hide.

Suddenly she felt two strong arms grab her around the waist from behind.

xxxxxxxxx

 

Daryl and Beth broke their embrace when they heard gunfire. It was six shots and it was close. They heard Dawn's screams and the sound of walkers chasing after her. Daryl slowly turned towards the door.

"Daryl, what are you doing?" Beth whispered as quietly as she could. "We've got to hide and barricade the door."

"Just a second." he replied.

Daryl opened the door. He saw Dawn running towards him. She looked so freaked out that she hadn't even notice Daryl there. Daryl sighed as he knew what was about to do was stupid but he just couldn't help it. He was a hero. Daryl grabbed Dawn around the waist, picked her up and pulled her inside Dr Edward's office.

Once inside, they locked the door and Beth pushed the sofa against it. The walkers came crashing and banging and salivating. Beth looked down at Dawn who still looked dazed and confused. She looked down with anger and Dawn looked up at Beth and Daryl with an odd sense of jealousy and hope.

"My, my," she said. "This is quite a situation we've got on our hands here."

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
